In a joint ceremony held at the Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol Auditorium, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office on Friday turned over 13 ambulances to Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Abra.
Jose Jorge Corpuz, PCSO chairman, reiterated their commitment to providing health and welfare assistance to Filipinos. “This is for the Filipino peopleâ”all Filipinos. As long as you come to PCSO, we will help you,” he said.
Ilocos Norte received six ambulances, exceeding Gov. Imee R. Marcos’ request for two units.
One unit each was given to the municipalities of Dingras, Bangui, Pagudpud and Sarrat; the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council; and the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Batac City.
Coordinating with other provincial offices and national agencies, Ilocos Norte’s PDRRMC has been instrumental in providing crisis response and speeding up recovery during and after natural disasters, most recently when Super Typhoon “Lawin” (international name Haima) struck the province in October 2016.
“Resiliency is defined by early recovery, by how fast damaged communities can get back up,” Marcos said during her 2016 State of the Province Address a week after Lawin swept Northern Luzon.
The ambulance in care of the PDRRMC will also be used for the Provincial Incidence Response Management 911, Ilocos Norte’s 24-hour emergency hotline launched last month.
Pagudpud Mayor Marlon Sales expressed his gratitude for the ambulance. “Considering Pagudpud is a tourist destination, we are thankful for the getting an additional ambulance to augment our needs,” he said. “It’s a big deal because sometimes we have to take our patients to La Union or Manila, so no ambulance is left here for other emergencies.”
He also thanked Marcos for initiating Ilocos Norte’s request, saying she is “very concerned with healthcare services.”
“Public safety and security is an essential pillar of development indeed. Through this generous provision from the PCSO, our provinces move one step forward in assuring the best for our constituents,” Marcos said, thanking also President Rodrigo Duterte for his consistent support for all Ilocanos.
Corpuz also lauded Ilocos Norte regarding the strict prohibition of illegal gambling, saying: “We will continue that alongside the war on drugs. Ilocos Norte has long had a war on illegal gambling and has been good at it.”